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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1974.
WORK STARTS ON SUPER TUEN MUN HIGHWAY
WORK BEGAN TODAY ON THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR 9-1/2-MILE TUEN MUN ROAD PROJECT.
TO MARK THE OCCASION, A 1,000-YEAR-OLD SHINTO CEREMONY WAS PERFORMED BY SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICALS AND BY THE JAPANESE FIRM WHICH IS BUILDING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE ROAD.
ADDRESSING THE +COMMENCEMENT OF CONTRACT+ CEREMONY, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. WILLIAM BELL. SAID INTERFERENCE TO TRAFFIC DURING CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE REDUCED TO THE MINIMUM.
THIS WAS MADE POSSIBLE, HE EXPLAINED, BECAUSE THE GREATER PART OF THE NEW ROAD WOULD BE LOCATED TO THE LANDWARD OF, AND GENERALLY AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN THE EXISTING CASTLE PEAK ROAD.
WHEN COMPLETED, THE NEW ROAD WILL PROVIDE A FIRST CLASS TRAFFIC ARTERY DESIGNED TO URBAN MOTORWAY STANDARDS LINKING TSUEN WAN AND KOWLOON TO THE SOUTH WITH THE NEW TOWNSHIP OF TUEN MUN AND THE NORTH-WEST NEW TERRITORIES TO THE NORTH.
MR. BELL NOTED THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD REPRESENTED AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IN HONG KONG.
POINTING OUT THAT THE CONTRACT PRICE OF $222 MILLION WAS BY FAR THE LARGEST SINGLE HIGHWAY CONTRACT EVER LET, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHED THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO THIS PROJECT AS PART OF ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO RELIEVE THE MORE CONGESTED URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG AND KOWLOON.
THE ROAD HAD BEEN DESIGNED AS A DUAL THREE-LANE CARRIAGEWAY WITH CONSTRUCTION DIVIDED INTO TWO STACES THE FIRST SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY MID-1977.
AS AN INDICATION OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE SCHEME, MR. BELL SAID THE REMOVAL OF SONE 4-1/2 MILLION CUBIC HETRES OR SIX MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH WOULD BE INVOLVED TOGETHER WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF 16 MAJOR BRIDCES AND A CAUSEWAY OF 700 METRES ACROSS THE BAY AT TAI LAM CHUNG.
MR. JINICHI MAKITA, THE
AIRMAN OF KUMAGAI GUMI CH.K.) LTD WHICH IS BUILDING THE NEW ROAD MO ADDRESSED THE GATHERING AND GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT HIS FIRM VOLL COMPLETE THE HIGHWAY TO THE LATISFACTION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG "KONG.
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